June 20, 2016
Te Puea finds home for cancer girl
It's another high five moment for Te Puea Marae's homeless programme.
The south Auckland marae has managed to find a state house for the family of a 16-year-old who had to move to Auckland for cancer treatment.
Marae chair Hurimoana Dennis says the family, a solo dad with five kids, had been staying in a house with 15 others since moving up from Hamilton to be near Starship Hospital, and turned up to the marae last Tuesday.
He says the marae is able to cut through the bureaucratic red tape that hampers many struggling families because it now has staff form various government agencies on site for face to face interaction.
It has also been given access to the government's new transitional housing programme.
The girl, who wants to be known only by the initial B, gave a big thank you to the marae at a press conference this morning.
She's looking forward to moving into a new home tomorrow where she can concentrate on receiving chemotherapy.
Mr Dennis says there are currently 33 homeless people staying on the marae.
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